The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-09-29
THE ENCAMPMENT.
Editorial Notes.
ST. LOUIS, Sent. "a. 1887.

ST. LOUIS, Sept "a, 1887.
Preached heah," as our misguided South
ern brethren say, this morning after delight
full ride over the Wabash from Chicago, and
across the seemingly endless savanna5 of Illinois
What q wonderful land this is that the God of
our fathers has given US, and there is no part
of it more wonderful than the vast fertile, city
dotted plain. which stretches from the majestic
Northern lakes to the beautiful Ohio River,
and from the foothills of the Alleganies to the
turbulent Mississippi. 1t is an empire in area
larger indeed than the Empires of Ger
many or Austro- Hungary, or the Republic of
France, and more fertile than any acres on
which the sun smiles, as the earth Obediently
turns every part Of her broad face to him ''once
in every "a ours, subjeck 2 the Eonstitushuns
Ov the YOunighted Stats as the loyal Arte-
mus Ward used to say. The old adage about
every rood of ground supporting its man"
might be carried out here, if anywhere in the
world, for nowhere else is every foot of ground
arabic, and so ready to laugh with bountiful
bandman. The narrow ribbon of the railroad
runs through emerald meadows as large as
European dukedoms-through fields of ban
nered corn broad and fair rs the jointures
which proud Queens have brought to their
Kingly husbands as dowries. Bloody national
wars have been fought for the possession of
less fertile land than can see in an instant's
glance through the ear windows. The famous
Alsace-LorFaine, which Germany wrested
from France and to recover which the Repub-
hque Franchise is ready to spend tens of thou
sands of lives and countless millions of money,
are not so large as half-dozen Illinois COun-
ties and less fertile than the poorest portion of
the State.
THE SUNS SMILES,
of which / have before spoken, have been
somewhat too ardent the past Summer. Rather,
they have not been qualified by enough of
heavens weeping. In plain language, the
country has suffered from drouth, and though
the land teens with plenty, though the corn,
and the wheat and the cattle seem plentiful
enough to feed all the nations of the earth, to-
gether with the heather of the isles, the crops
are not what they would have been had there
been more rain.
The most fertile part of Europe-the granary
of the Continents region in Hungary called
"the Barrat," and there is a story that peas
ant who was being shown the imperial jewels
at Veuna and told their immense cost re-
marked that the value of the whole of them
was not equal to that of one good rain on the
Barrat." So one good rain at the right time
on this region would have been worth more to
the Nation than all the much talk of surplus
in the Treasury.
ST. LOUIS IN STATE OF PREPARATION.
The moment that the outskirts of St. Louis
were reached it began to be evident that St.
Louis was rapidly getting into readiness to
honor her distinguished guests. 1t is three
days yet until the formal opening of the En-
campment, but already the buildings beyond
the Mississippi in Illinois are decorated with
bunting and GAR. emblems. As we neared
the heart of the great city the decorations and
signs became more plentiful until we reached
the principal streets, which seemed literally
given mp to the GAR. The arches, the illu-
limitations, etc, have been fully described in
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE aud 1 will only say
that they surpass even the high expectations
had formed of them.
THE HEADQUARTERS
of the Local Executive Committee were readily
distinguished by the profusion of bunting, far
exeelling the lavish display made elsewhere
There found Gen. ID. p Grier, the efficient
Chairman of the Local Executive Committee,
with Col. Dyer, receiving the comrades as they
drifted in. If all that had heard of Gen. Grer
had not prepOssessed me in his favor. his
personal appearance and words would have
done so. He is a man of rather over the
middle hight, with well-deyelopt. strong fig
ure, just beginning to incline to portliness.
Bright, quick eyes, pleasant voice. and alert,
genial manners with an air of force and reso-
luton. show him to have been and to be what
his history relates of him. He was an excep-
tiOnally good soldier-going out as a Captain
in April, 1861, and coming back four years
later Brigadier-G General, commanding divis-
ion, with battle record beginning at Donel-
son and running through Shiloh, Yicksburg,
and the Banks expedition to the capture of
the forts around Mobile. Since the war his
record as q business man has been as credit
able in its way as his military career. He has
been for years one of the leading business men
in st. Louis, and no one in the city stands
higher among merchants than he. Presently,
in drifted
GEN. JOHN POPE,
refined in face and manner as ever, neatly
dressed as of old, and with all of his old time
courtesy of speech and action. But the once
luxuriant black hair is thin and white, and
his mustaehe is snowy. He has been suffering
greatly with the rheumatism, the result of his
years Of campaigning on the Plains before the
war, but visit to the health resorts of the
North has brought him some relief. His eyes
and skin are bright and clear and except the
rheumatism his health is very good. He is
now living in st. Louis, and is very popular
among the veterans and citizens.
Next came the Veteran
GEN. A. j. SMITH,
the idol of the Sixteenth Corps-the famous
Smiths Guerrillas the General who fought
in every State in the so-ealled Southern Con-
federacy west of the Alleganies, and never suf.
fered a defeat. The old Generals har-what